Where Smart Ark Products Are Made

We have a range of products made in various countries, and we try are very best to be as ethical as we possibly can. Our Fair trade products are made in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The fair trade companies have a completely different work model, where workers from all backgrounds and religions, can work in a safe environment with good working conditions and have access to health care and other benefits to their local communities.

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Fairtrade crochet dolls being knitted in Bangladesh

Other countries that we  manufacture in are China, Turkey,  and very recently, right here in the UK. We have a good relationship with our partners and Alhamdulilah very fortunate that we can manufacture products that fit are ethical requirements.

 

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Fairtrade dolls made in Sri Lanka

 

 

 

Award winning factory in China

With regards to manufacturing in China, some may see this as a not so ethical option. Perhaps 10 or 20 years ago maybe, but China has come along way and there are many good factories out there, if you look for them. If you want the cheapest prices and cheapest quality, and no questions asked about who has made the products, then of course you will find the cheapest prices and cheapest quality.

 

However at Smart Ark we only work with reputable manufactures who have good work ethics and have in fact won industry awards.
All of our products made in China are made from recycled materials, and some are completely wood free. And of course, you get what you pay for, that is why so many people always comment on the excellent quality of Smart Ark products.

The Chinese Emperor’s Poem about the Prophet Muhammad(PBUH):

Hong-Wu (also known by his given name Zhū Yuánzhāng) was the Emperor of China between 1368 – 1398 CE. He was the first Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, leading an Army that conquered the country and defeated away the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty.

Despite being a non-Muslim, Hong-Wu ordered the construction of several mosques in Nanjing, Yunnan, Guangdong and Fujian. He rebuilt the Jinjue Mosque in Nanjing and large numbers of Hui (Muslim Chinese) people moved to the city during his rule.

He had around 10 Muslim generals in his army, including Chang Yuchun, Lan Yu, Ding Dexing, Mu Ying, Feng Sheng and Hu Dahai. In addition, Hong-Wu’s spouse, Empress Ma, descended from a Muslim family while he was originally a member of a Muslim rebel group led by Guo Zhixin.

Emperor Hong-Wu wrote a 100 word eulogy praising Islam, Allah and the Prophet Muhammad which he had placed in the mosques which he ordered to be built.

The eulogy is in the form of a poem, each verse containing 4 words (characters) and 4 syllables. In the translation below I have strayed away from trying to keep the 4 word per verse translation in favour of a more literal translation which conveys the full meaning in flowing English.

chinese emporer
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The One-Hundred Word Eulogy:

Since the creation of the Universe,

God had decreed to appoint,

This great faith-preaching man,

From the West he was born,

He received the Holy Scripture,

A Book of thirty parts,

To guide all creation,

Master of all Rulers,

Leader of Holy Ones,

With Support from Above,

To Protect His Nation,

With five daily prayers,

Silently hoping for peace,

His heart towards Allah,

Empowering the poor,

Saving them from calamity,

Seeing through the darkness,

Pulling souls and spirits,

Away from all wrongdoings,

A Mercy to the Worlds,

Traversing the ancient majestic path,

Vanquishing away all evil,

His Religion Pure and True,

Muhammad,

The Noble & Great one.

 

Courtesy: Br.Musa cerantonio.

New books coming soon

New Book! I am working on –
Books on the Prophet’s of Allah, but written by your child.
Your child will read the brief story (or do their own research) and write it in their own words to complete their very own book!
Includes stickers.
I am still working on the books and insha’Allah will be available in 3-5 months

new books

The daughter who would not lie

Umar (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) one night went in disguise with his companion Ibn Abbas (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) to check the condition of the people on the outskirts of Madinah. They strolled from one quarter to another. At last they came to a tribe where very poor people lived. While passing by a small hut, the Caliph overheard voices from inside. A mother was telling her daughter that the amount fetched by her that day on account of the sale of milk was very little. She told her that when she was young, and used to sell milk, she always mixed water with milk, and that led to considerable profit. She advised her daughter to do the same.FLOWER

 

The girl said,

“You diluted milk, when you were not a Muslim. Now that we are Muslims, we cannot dilute milk.”

The mother said that Islaam did not stand in the way of her diluting the milk. The daughter said, “Have you forgotten the Caliph’s order? He wants that the milk should not be diluted.”

The mother said, “What else should we do but dilute milk in order to survive?”

The daughter said,”Such living would not be lawful, and as a Muslim I would not do anything which is against the orders of the Caliph, and whereby other Muslims are deceived.”

The mother said, “But there is neither the Caliph nor any of his officers here to see what we do. Daughter you are still a child. Go to bed now and tomorrow I will myself mix the milk with water for you.”

The girl refused to fall in with the plan of her mother. She said,

“The Caliph may or may not be here, but his order is order, and it must be obeyed. My conscience is my Caliph. You may escape the notice of the Caliph and his officers, but how can we escape the notice of Allah and our own conscience?”

Thereupon the mother remained quiet. The lamp was extinguished and the mother and the daughter went to sleep.

The next day, Umar (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) sent a man to purchase milk from the girl. The milk was undiluted. The girl had kept her resolve. Umar (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) turned to Ibn Abbas (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) and said, “The girl has kept her resolve in spite of the demands of her mother. She deserves a reward. What reward should I give her?” “She should be paid some money” said Ibn Abbas (radhiAllahu ‘anhu).

Umar said,

“Such a girl would become a great mother. Her integrity is not to be weighed with a few coins; it is to be measured in the scale of national values. I shall offer her the highest award in my gift, and which shall also be in the highest interest of the nation.”

The Caliph summoned the daughter and the mother to his court. The mother trembled as she stood before the mighty ruler. But the girl faced Umar (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) with a calm repose, and there was an impressive dignity about her.

Then before the gathering, Umar (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) related how he had overheard the mother and the daughter, and how in spite of the pleads of the mother the daughter had kept he resolve.

Someone suggested that the mother should be taken to task. The Caliph said that ordinarily he would have punished the mother, but he had forgiven her for the sake of her daughter. Turning to the girl Umar (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) said,

“Islaam needs daughters like you, and as a Caliph of Islaam I wish to reward you by taking you as a daughter”.

The Caliph called his sons, and addressing them said:

“Here is a gem of a girl who would make a great mother. I desire that one of you should take this girl as wife. I know of no better bride than this girl of sterling character. In matters of wedlock, it should be the character, and not the stature in life that should count.”

Abdullah and Abdur Rahman (radhiAllahu ‘anhumaa) the elder sons of Umar (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) were already married. Asim (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) the third son was unmarried, so he offered to marry the girl.

Thereupon with the consent of the milkmaid and her mother Asim (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) was married to the girl, and the milkmaid became the daughter-in-law of the Caliph.

From this marriage was born a daughter, who became in due course the mother of Umar bin Abdul Aziz – who later became a Caliph.  Umar bin Abdul Aziz upheld standards of austerity and simplicity following in the footsteps of Umar the second Caliph of Islam. It is said that if ever there was a noble Caliph after the ‘Rightly Guided Caliphs’, such a man was Umar bin Abdul Aziz. He inherited the noble qualities of the milkmaid who married the Caliph’s son, and those of Umar Farooq (radhiAllahu ‘anhu) who had the eye to discern the noble and honest qualities in the girl.

Source: www.idealmuslimah.com

 

The boys bad temper

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence.fence - Copy

The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally, the day came when the boy didn’t lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper!

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence He said, “You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won’t matter how many times you say “I’m sorry”, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Source:theauthenticbase.wordpress.com

 

New Products For March!

It’s here! Our gorgeous selection of wrapping paper for all your Islamic occasions. Gift wrap comes with a matching tag. We also have in stock the new counting numbers bookmarks, that will definitely be a winner with the kids and brighten up all their books.

giftwrapblog